Musings 77--Taxing the view...

I've lived in or near the scenic country most of my life. I guess I have come to take it for granted. Folks who live in places that are mostly concrete and steel spend lots of money to get out into the country for a weekend. They like getting back to nature.

I drive about twelve miles to work each and every day. I motor in from a place that does not appear on most maps--Greasy Ridge, Ohio. We are not on a mountain, but it is as close as you can get.

Driving the ridge road--a narrow twisting turning snake without guard rails--is common place to us "Ridge Runners." I mean, what do you need guard rails for if a tree will do just as well. Of course you may drop a hundred feet of so, but, it all works out.

There are places on Greasy Ridge where you are looking out over the hills, and on a clear day you can see forever. Okay, maybe not forever, but it was a neat song title. You can see for several miles, though.

Anyway, I was browsing the web for news and came up the story about a "view tax." (See link)
Now that is a novel idea. Pay for the view. It is kind of like cable television with electricity.

I have often felt that the people in New Hampshire were on the cutting edge of new things. You hear all the time about stuff coming out of there. Stuff like...ah..."view taxes."

I figured that after they taxed the air we breathe there could be no other tax ever levied. Boy was I wrong. Now they want to tax the "view." It is truly great when you know that you have not lived long enough to have seen everything. It gives one hope. Besides, I own 250 acres on Greasy Ridge and the view is great. So if they ever tax it, then the value will go up, up, up, and I can buy me a concrete townhouse that has a window that looks out onto the wall of the building beside me. I doubt there will ever be a wall tax...but, I could be wrong.